Kia ora e te whānau,

Today’s Matariki celebration was a wonderful example of the spirit of our school. From the student-led liturgy to the joyful concert and shared learning in Soul Classes, our tamariki showed great leadership, pride, and connection. We ended the day with a high-energy Jump Jam—what a way to celebrate together!

At the end of this term, we farewell Mrs Girlie Ruki, who returns to Ōpōtiki to be with her whānau. We are so grateful for her years of dedication and leadership in Kapa Haka. We warmly welcome Katrina Apple Agno, who joins us at the start of term 3 and brings strong experience in inclusive education.

Next Thursday is our school cross country—a chance to live out our value of Determination by showing resilience, trying our best, and encouraging others.

A quick reminder: classrooms open at 8.30am and students should be collected by 3.15pm unless attending after-school care. SKiDS is available on-site if care is needed outside school hours.

SKiDS will also be running a holiday programme here during the July break—see the attached flyer or visit www.skids.co.nz for details.

Have a safe and happy long weekend!

Ngā mihi nui,
Carolyn Massey

We had a wonderful day celebrating Matariki together as a school community. The day began with a special liturgy led by students from across different learning communities. It was a beautiful example of collaboration and leadership from our tamariki, and set a reflective and meaningful tone for our celebrations.

Following the liturgy, we came together for a Matariki concert where every student participated in an action song that celebrated the themes of Matariki. It was heartwarming to see all our tamariki fully engaged, smiling, and taking pride in this special time of year that holds deep significance for Aotearoa.

Throughout the day, different classes explored various Matariki-related activities and shared their learning with their Soul Classes, fostering a spirit of sharing and whanaungatanga.

We wrapped up the day with an energetic Matariki Jump Jam session, bringing everyone together in movement and fun.

Sadly, we will be farewelling Mrs Girlie Ruki at the end of this term. Girlie has been a valued member of our staff for the past seven years and has played a pivotal role in leading and growing our Kapa Haka programme. She will be returning home to Ōpōtiki to be with her whānau.  We thank her for her dedication and passion, and we wish her every blessing as she begins this next chapter.

 

We are pleased to welcome Katrina Apple Agno as Girlie’s replacement. Katrina will begin with us on 14 July. Katrina is passionate about creating inclusive learning environments and brings a wealth of experience in supporting students across a range of learning needs. She is committed to fostering strong relationships with students, whānau, and colleagues.

We are seeking parent helpers to assist on the day.  If you're available to help in any way, please email: jpc@sanctamariaprimary.school.nz

A reminder to all families that school gates open at 8.00 am, and classrooms open at 8.30 am. For student safety, we ask that children arrive after 8.30 am, unless absolutely necessary.

All students should be collected by 3.15 pm unless they are attending a supervised school activity or enrolled in our after-school care programme. We have noticed an increasing number of students remaining at school well past this time, which places unnecessary strain on staff who are not rostered for supervision.

If you require care outside school hours, SKiDS provides a safe and structured programme on-site. You can find more information and enrol online at www.skids.co.nz or contact the school office for details.

We appreciate your support in keeping our students safe and respecting staff time.

Need care for your child over the July school holidays? SKiDS will be running an exciting Winter Holidays 2025 programme right here at school!

This winter’s theme is "Explore the World" – with each day packed full of cultural discoveries, themed games, hands-on activities, and epic team challenges as children ‘travel’ to a new country.

For the full timetable, more information, and booking details, please see the attached flyer or visit www.skids.co.nz.

Places fill quickly – book early to secure your spot!

Active play is essential to the health and future wellbeing of all children. Play is so important that it is recognised under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Sitting less, moving more and sleeping well is important for healthy weight gain, mental health, behaviour, improved movement, competence skills and brain development including communication skills, higher emotional and social functioning, and the ability to make good decisions. It is vital for the development of physical movement skills that will provide a platform for learning more complicated skills in the future.

Play is also an important way for children to be active and make sense of their world. It is vital in helping all children, including those with disabilities, to develop physical, social and emotional abilities, resilience and creativity. Play also helps a child to relate to and communicate with others and take turns and negotiate collaboratively and in a team situation.

Quality play can take many forms, such as rough and tumble, imaginative (make-believe), locomotive (moving in all directions) and decision-making around risks and challenges. It includes children experiencing a mixture of adult-led activities and opportunities to be active without excessive adult interference, in a variety of environments.

Our children also need opportunities to play on their own, which allows their imagination and problem-solving skills to develop as well as their physical skills, and all opportunities should be offered within the context of a fun play environment. (Click here to find out more about the importance of play)

It is ‘ok’ for your child/children to tell you that they are ‘bored’. Boredom can actually help them develop skills, creativity and self-esteem. All children need some help coming up with things to do with unstructured time. 

So, “How do I respond when my children say they are bored?”
Acknowledge their frustration with empathy and try a response like this:

“I understand, not having something to do is very frustrating.”
“What can you do?
“I wonder what you will do?”

These questions can be empowering and it is surprising how children soon figure out what they can do without you solving the problem!

Reference link for this article.